It was sunny and temperate as Amtrak’s inaugural Acela Avelia Liberty cruised out of Washington at 124 miles per hour.
But a cloud hangs over America’s national passenger rail service.
The French-designed, American-made train carried Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and other guests on Wednesday, a day before they started serving the public between Boston and Washington. Amtrak describes the $2.5 billion upgrade to North America’s fastest train as “premium, convenient, and comfortable” and a climate win, projecting the new fleet will reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent due to its lighter weight.
But the rollout comes as many advocates are wearily eyeing a Trump administration that has opposed several passenger rail projects. In July, the administration pulled federal funds for California’s high-speed rail project, a plan to connect San Francisco to Orange County in half the driving time.
